Yes, I suppose for many the jury is out on this one - it stinks. But I know some out there actually enjoy this old-time barbershop staple of an aftershave.
Me, I go back and forth with PLV. Sometimes it smells like the great old product in the glass bottles I remember from years ago, and sometimes that nasty "urine" fragrance comes through. But I so much want to like this stuff...
So last night, after reading several posts on different forums regarding Lilac Vegetal, I got out my bottle of the stuff and took a whiff. And yes, at first I got that "old man in a nursing home" hit (with a slight lilac note). But then I squeezed the bottle a little to force more of the scent out of the bottle. As I did this a few times, the odor mellowed out a bit. It actually started smelling like the old product I remembered. I thought, " does this stuff need to breathe?" I know that barbers used to keep their aftershaves in open topped squirt bottles that kept the product exposed to air. Maybe that was a good thing?
So I took a shot glass and poured out a small amount of the Lilac and swilled it around like a glass of wine. It seemed to help. I left the aftershave-in-shot-glass out over night and tried it this morning (no, didn't drink it). Not bad.
Now I'm wondering if it's just me, my wishfull thinking and wanting to like this aftershave so much. Or, have I hit on something? Maybe something funky in this new formulation needs to evaporate before it hits your skin. I don't know.
Anyone noticed this before, or care to try? Or is there no flesh left to beat on this dead horse?
Scott
